State of the Union

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News

News about State of the Union, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jan. 25, 2015

Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column criticizes Pres Obama's State of the Union message, in which he seemed to finally show signs of life after seemingly writing off the country and Democrats for the past year; attributed Obama's change in mood to fact that he is lame duck, and can dispatch any pretense of trying to appease his critics. MORE

Jan. 23, 2015

Timothy Egan Op-Ed column suggests that Seattle Seahawks last-minute victory over Green Bay Packers may prove to be apt metaphor for Pres Obama's final years in office and proposals he laid out in his State of the Union message. MORE

Jan. 22, 2015

Uneasiness affects people across country who say they are still earning less pay than before the recession and think Pres Obama overemphasized economic recovery in his State of the Union address; people anticipate few efforts to help middle class from divided government that appears partisan and frozen. MORE

Jan. 22, 2015

White House Memo; current and former advisers to Pres Obama say his self-assured, almost cocky State of the Union address was powered by sense his economic policies were working; his ebullient state of mind seems to disregard how new Republican Congress will react to his agenda for final two years of presidency. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

News Analysis; Pres Obama's State of the Union address is replete with bold calls to action, speaking as though Democratic Party won midterm elections instead of having received largest electoral repudiation of his presidency; makes no concessions to new Republican Congress about his leadership and offers no compromises to newly dominant right wing. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Pres Obama delivers his sixth State of the Union address, taking credit for improving economy, defending an activist federal government and defiantly challenging Republicans in Congress to support his costly domestic plans to aid middle class; faces skeptical but respectful Congress and makes no mention of major losses Democratic Party incurred in congressional midterm elections. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Republicans spurn proposals made by Pres Obama during his State of Union address, blaming him for alleged unwillingness to work with them to pass bipartisan legislation. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Freshmen members of Congress see Pres Obama's State of the Union address as rite of passage and an initiation into the ways of Washington; Florida's freshman Rep Carlos Curbelo delivers Republican Party's response to Spanish speakers, and North Carolina freshman Rep Alma Adams views speech as precursor to her plans to introduce education bill. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Editorial praises Pres Obama for way he addressed income inequality and economic struggles of the poor and middle class in his State of the Union address; suggests that whoever is chosen as Democratic nominee for 2016 presidential election will have to address these issues head-on; urges Obama not to compromise with Republican majority in Congress. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

News Analysis; Pres Obama will use State of the Union address to move beyond politics of austerity and economic hardship that have long dominated his tenure, shifting to issues like education and income inequality; Republican control of Congress makes it unlikely that he will enact his agenda, but moves will nonetheless frame debate for the 2016 presidential race. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Pres Obama's aides revamp their digital communications strategy in effort to reach new audiences for State of the Union speech; form team of Internet-savvy staff to disseminate information through social media. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Alan P Gross, American released in December 2014 from five years of captivity in Cuba, and Scott Kelly, astronaut scheduled to leave for a year aboard the International Space Station, will be among Pres Obama’s guests at State of the Union address. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Cody Keenan, chief White House speechwriter Pres Obama refers to as Hemingway because of his burly physique and heavy beard, uses gritty language in focusing on individual, hard-work stories as parables for the American dream. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

The Upshot; Pres Obama, after year of low approval ratings, is having modest rebound before the State of the Union address, with 46 percent approval in past month; his ratings in 2016 should be indicative of whether nation will elect another Democratic presidential candidate. MORE

Jan. 18, 2015

Administration officials say Pres Obama will ask Congress during his State of the Union address to raise taxes and fees on wealthiest taxpayers to pay for tax cuts on the middle class; plan faces long odds in new Republican Congress, whose leaders oppose raising taxes; move is seen as start of debate that will cohere Obama's legacy and 2016 presidential campaign. MORE

Feb. 2, 2014

Serge Schmemann Quick History column reviews major news event of the week, including the Italian murder trial of Amanda Knox, Pres Obama's State of the Union message, and the unrest in Ukraine. MORE

Jan. 31, 2014

White House Memo; Pres Obama is embracing a more modest approach after running into roadblocks in Congress, gaining an appreciation for leadership style of former Pres Bill Clinton, which he once criticized; initiatives outlined in Obama's State of the Union message sound very much like Clinton's work. MORE

Jan. 30, 2014

Diplomatic Memo; for a few moments during Pres Obama’s State of the Union address, he sounded as if he was channeling Secretary of State John Kerry, who has become the energetic face of Obama’s foreign policy, conducting high-wire diplomacy on multiple fronts. MORE

Jan. 29, 2014

Pres Obama, in his State of the Union address, declares independence from Congress after five years of fractious political combat; vows to tackle American income inequality with series of economic initiatives that he will enact, if necessary, without legislative approval; defiantly promises a 'year of action' as he tries to rejuvenate a presidency mired in low approval ratings and stymied by partisan stalemates. MORE

Jan. 29, 2014

News analysis; Pres Obama's announcement at State of the Union address that he will use executive orders may be only route available to the president given deep hostility from Republicans in Congress, but only so much can be delivered if legislation is not passed; executive orders are limited in their scope, and can easily be undone by next president that succeeds Obama. MORE

Jan. 29, 2014

State of the Union address spawns bipartisan embrace of social media, including photo- and video-sharing platforms, and rush to create tweetable graphics and hashtags to amplify party messages; Democrats and Republicans, seizing latest technological tools, compete to make their views the majority opinion, often with little regard to what Pres Obama actually said. MORE

Jan. 29, 2014

Reporters Notebook offers assessment of what Pres Obama really meant as he addressed Congress in State of the Union address, perhaps most scripted, revised, edited, vetted and scrubbed performance a president gives each year. MORE

Jan. 29, 2014

Editorial contends that Pres Obama's State of the Union speech differed from his previous three by acknowledging that Congress has become a dead end because of implacable Republican opposition; notes that speech focused on smaller actions that Obama can perform using executive action; contends that as important as executive orders can be, they should not replace showing that Republicans are voting against the public's wishes. MORE

Jan. 28, 2014

Pres Obama will make State of the Union address for fifth time during his presidency; never during his time in office has United States economy been better, yet rarely has he received such low marks from public for his handling of it. MORE

Jan. 27, 2014

Several prominent members of the Republican Party are going off-script in party's planned response to Pres Obama's State of the Union address, upending what was once a tightly-choreographed reply under the supervision of party leaders; Sen Rand Paul and Tea Party leader Sen Mike Lee are planning alternative rebuttals alongside official response from Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Sen Ted Cruz issued an early statement. MORE

Jan. 27, 2014

Political Memo; Pres Obama's State of the Union address could underscore his inability so far to achieve the taxpayer-financed investments that he strongly believes could lift long-term economic prospects for country's middle class and poor. MORE

Jan. 26, 2014

Aides to Pres Obama say his State of the Union message will present a blueprint for action on issues like income inequality and the environment that bypasses Congress and exercises his authority to maximum extent; Obama has, by his own account, come to feel acutely the limits on his power and the shrinking horizons before him, all of which make the speech a critical opportunity to drive an agenda that may yet shape his legacy. MORE

Jan. 24, 2014

White House memo; Pres Obama in his State of the Union address may hint at compromise between Democrats and Republicans on ways to fight rising inequality of economic opportunities; some in both parties see a chance for compromises--perhaps on tax policy, education and even the minimum wage. MORE

Jan. 24, 2014

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column expresses hope that Pres Obama will focus on inequality in America for much of his State of the Union address; contends those who will criticize him for not focusing on jobs will miss the connection between high unemployment and rising inequality, as well as how closely linked the two issues are. MORE

Jan. 24, 2014

David Brooks Op-Ed column urges Pres Obama to widen the debate about expanding opportunity for underprivileged children in his State of the Union message; holds a real national social mobility strategy must address youth development from ages 0 to 25. MORE

Jan. 19, 2014

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column suggests that Pres Obama use speech given by Education Secretary Arne Duncan for his State of the Union address; notes that Duncan's speech questioned whether American culture takes education seriously enough. MORE

Feb. 20, 2013

Letter from John Brademas, former member of House of Representatives from Indiana, responds to Gail Collins Feb 14 Op-Ed column about early intervention in child development. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

President Obama's call for a free-trade agreement between the United States and the European Union unleashes a wave of optimism on both sides that trans-Atlantic fortunes can be lifted both economically and politically; experts cite a need for a unified Europe, along with the growing economic might of China in praising the potential agreement. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Pres Obama travels to Asheville, NC, visiting engine-parts factory to promote resurgence of American manufacturing, core message from his State of the Union address. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Pres Obama’s call in his State of the Union address for plan to extend preschool to all 4-year-olds is hailed by advocates who say inequity in education begins at a very young age; critics argue that providing universal access could result in federal money being squandered on ineffective programs. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Senators gathering for hearing on proposed changes in immigration law say Pres Obama's nonconfrontational tone on immigration overhaul in his State of the Union address probably did more to advance issue, giving lawmakers of both parties room to maneuver on delicate politics involved. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Steps that Pres Obama promised in his State of the Union address to control college costs and give consumers more financial information draws tepid responses from educational groups, who say measures seem positive but have many blanks to be filled in; White House unveils College Scorecard Web site. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Gail Collins Op-Ed column notes similarity between Pres Obama's call for high-quality preschool for all American children in his State of the Union message and former Sen Walter Mondale's 1971 proposed Comprehensive Child Development Act; tempers optimism about Obama's proposal with failure of Mondale's bill. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

President Obama, seeking to put prosperity and promise of the middle class at heart of his second-term agenda, calls on Congress in his State of the Union address to raise minimum wage to $9 an hour, saying it will lift millions out of poverty and energize the economy; Republicans reject idea, warning it would translate into higher taxes and a government that would strangle growth, deepening the nation's fiscal hole; Obama also urges lawmakers to act on immigration, gun control and other domestic policies. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

News analysis; Pres Obama's State of the Union address lays out a broad argument for the role of government in fostering economic recovery and securing the middle class; represents shift away from emphasis on shrinking government that has dominated political discourse for several years. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Republicans appearing at Pres Obama's State of the Union address attempt to evince a more positive and less strident attitude; shift is undercut by the presence of gun advocate Ted Nugent, who remains stone-faced even amid emotional tribute to victims of gun violence. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Television news coverage of impending State of the Union speech is overshadowed by standoff between authorities and former Los Angeles police officer Christopher J Dorner, who had barricaded himself in a cabin in California. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Pres Obama, in State of the Union address, calls on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour from $7.25, and to automatically adjust it with inflation; proposal would address nation's yawning levels of income inequality, but is also bound to be politically divisive given the weakness of the nation's economic recovery. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Editorial praises Pres Obama's State of the Union address for pointing to a way out of austerity and stalemate on Capitol Hill; notes Obama's broad second-term agenda is impressive but says task before him is to turn widespread public support into a wedge to break Washington's gridlock. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column examines way in which Republican Party is counting on Sen Marco Rubio, who gave shaky response to Pres Obama's State of the Union message, to present more modern image of party to electorate. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Washington Memo; as Pres Obama readies his State of the Union address, many associates say he is exhibiting assertiveness in contrast to caution he showed most of his first term. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Pres Obama is expected to declare that state of the union is 'strong' in his speech to Congress, ritual element of annual address that has been intoned by presidents over last 30 years even when things were not going so well. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

David Brooks Op-Ed column expresses hope that Pres Obama will frame his State of the Union address in terms of present versus future. MORE

Feb. 11, 2013

President Obama plans to use his State of the Union speech to reinvigorate one of his signature security objectives of drastically reducing nuclear arsenals around the world; Obama has secured agreement in recent months with the United States military that the American nuclear force can be cut in size by roughly a third; how to accomplish reduction in the face of Republican opposition in the Senate remains an open question. MORE

{"type":"article","show_header_text":false,"header":"ARTICLES ABOUT THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS","query":"(des=\"STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE (US)\") and tom!=\"Caption\" and tom!=\"Correction\" and tom!=\"List\" and tom!=\"Paid Death Notice\" and dsk!=\"Society\"","search_query":"(subject:\"STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE \\(US\\)\") AND -type_of_material:\"Caption\" AND -type_of_material:\"Correction\" AND -type_of_material:\"List\" AND -type_of_material:\"Paid Death Notice\" AND -news_desk:\"Society\"","num_search_articles":"10","show_summary":true,"show_byline":true,"show_pub_date":true,"hide_thumbnails":false,"show_kicker":false,"show_title":false,"show_related_topics":true,"show_rad_links":true,"show_subtopics":true,"exclude_topics":"STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE (US)","more_on_header":"MORE ON STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE (US) AND:","alternate_index_subidx":"","show_thumbnails":true}

Democrats have been encouraged in recent weeks by the administration’s aggressive use of executive authority and President Obama’s decision to push a robust progressive agenda in his State of the Union address.

U.S. President Obama heads to Republican heartland, delivering remarks at Boise State University where he reprises the themes of his defiant State of the Union speech. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).